Auxiliary vapor-supplying appliance for gas engines



Sept. 9, 1930.4

M. w. wlEGAND 1,775,263

AUXILIARY VAPOR SUPPLYING APPLIANCE FOR GAS ENGINES Filed Sept. 29, 1927 Q` I [l T @E n INVENToR m M/Pm/ h( MfG/M17 m .BY v hun) i uj, www@ a2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 9, 1930 PATENT 'o'FFICE' v,

`lVlIARCLIlW W. WI'EGrAN'I), 0F ANGLUM, MISSOURI .AUXILIARY VAPOR-SUPPLYING APPLIANCE FOR GAS ENGINES lApplication led September'29, 1927. Serial No. 222,818.

My' object isA to provide a means whereby water vapor or oilr vapor or both may be automatically introduced into the cylinder or explosivechamber ofagas engine, and further, to provide an apparatus for that purpose thatv is simple and of inexpensive construction." A further object is to provide an appliance of thischaracter which may be readily attached vto any ordinary gas engine without altering the engine. In order to accomplishV thesel results I use the hereinafter describedapparatus which preferably utilizes water vapor from the'radiator, and, after forcingit through water and oil, and mixing it with air,'injects'it through the usual intake manifold into the cylinders of the gas engine.

. My inventionconsists in the novel construction-and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim."` `While I show and describe my invention applied to an automobile gasengine, I do notlimit'myself thereto as it is equally applicable to any gas engine. y y

In describing the various arrangements employed and shown in the drawings hereto attached, I do not limit my invention to the precise form of construction inwhich the apparatus, or the several parts thereof, is shown ordescribed, inasmuch as various alterations may be made therein Without changing the scope of myinvention. .Y

lIn `the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional Vview of a device constructed in accordance'with this invention. Fig.'2 is a cross-section of said device, along the line Q-QofFig. 1 andshows apartition `in position. Y VjReferringto 'the.drawings, 7 is a tank, which is preferably mounted upon apart of the`engine,toiwhich it is secured byY straps, or anyotherjsuitable means. y' This tank.y is madeuof la suitable material, preferably copper or brass,"jand in the manufacture thereof VI'p'referto Vuse a'v cylinder or tube and close the same at the/end s8 and 9; .I 'Ihis tank,a`s isfshown lin Fig.` 1, is preferably divided into threecompartments, designated asA, B, and `@,by means of partitions 10, which are soldered or Y otherwise joinednwith the wall of the tank 'in such manner as to make the joints air-tight. These partitions are substantially of the shape and design shown in Fig. 2 and are preferably formed of any suitable materialfrom a single stamping. Slotted openings 11 are made in the lower portion of each partition to permit communication between the adjacent compartments. For eliiciency in the operation of the apparatus I prefer to make these openings in the form of louvers, and position the partitions so that the 'openings will be adjacent the bottom of the tank, and below the liuid level maintained therein, as is shown in the drawings. The formation of the louvered openings '11, has the result ofl forming bailes 12, disposed substantially horizontally, and directed oppositely, in each case downwardly and toward the chamber B. Experiments have shown that a substantial increase in the moisture contentfof the gases passing through the apparatus,lresults from the use of the louvered openings in the partitions. 13 is a filler opening in the upper part of the tank through which water, oil or other desired matter may be introduced into the tank. `v This opening may communicate directly .with either one of the chambers ofthe tank,r but for convenience, I prefer to make it as shown in the drawing so that it will communicate directly with the compartment vThis opening is normally kept closed by a threaded plug 14. As the tankis preferably constructed of a light material, a bush` ing 15 may be positioned in this opening into which the plug 14 may be screwed.

Anopening 16 yis made in the upper portion of the-end 8 of the tank, and a'pet-eock 18 is positioned therein, either directly or in conjunction with abushing 17, as shown vin the drawings. Another opening 19 is made in the upper portion near the end 9 of thetank anda similar pet-cock 20 is possitioned in this opening, either directly or ina bushing 21.

These openings are air-inlets to the tank, the amount of air which passes therethrough being controlled by means'of the'pet-cocks 18 andQO.. ,Y vp An opening y22 islmade in the'lower'portion of the tank', through which the Acontents ofthe tank may bedrained off when desired. A pet-cock or a drain plug 28 may control this opening, preferably by means of a bushing 24, and is normally kept closed, it being opened only when desirable or necessary to drain the tank. For convenience, I prefer to make this opening inthe end 8 of the tank and adjacent the bottom, as shown inthe drawings,

Y rather thanin the bottom itself. TheV petlower portion of the tank andpreferably in the end in which a connection 29 is positioned, either directly or elsein conjunction with av 2.9.

cocks 1K8 and 23, as shown, are connected with openings 16 and 22 through T connections 25 and 26. Between these connections is inserted a gage glass 27 to enablethe user to ascer-Y tain, at a glance, the level of fluid in the tank 7. This feature is important, sincethe operation of the apparatus is dependent upon the presence of a suitable volume of vliquid in the tank.. An opening 28 ismade in the bushing 80, which is fitted into the opening. This connection 29` communicates with an overflow trap 3l, whereby the contentsof the tank may be maintained'at a fixed level, which is preferably about onethird'pof thev heightof theV tank,fand which is shown in the drawings by the indicated fluid line. 'i

vThe overflow/trap .8l isconnected to the tank 7 by vmeans' of a connection 29, as `de,

f therethrough. In the drawings I scribed, withwhich it is joined `in any suitable manner. This overflow trap consists of an ,air-tight. chamber 82. In constructing the trap, I preferto use brass or other metal` lic tubing and close the same at the ends in any, manner that'willfpreve'nt air passing l have shown the chamber tapered toward the, bot-V tom and closed at the lower end by a bushing 38y for the removal of sediment, but this is merely a detail of construction which may be varied without altering the'r'esultlwhich is obtained. AThe chamber 32 ycommunicates with the tank by means of the connection 29,

through which the` contents of the tank enters the chamber. A stand-pipe'34, preferably a goose neck tube, is positioned inthe chamber 32 so thatthe upper end thereof, which is open, will Vbe approximately one-thirdv the height ofthe-tank andl the lower end will extend through the bottomrof the overflow trap. Inoperation, liquids will pass through the connection29, from the chamber 32. As the liquidrises in the tank there will be ak corresponding rise of ,theliquid in the chamber a bushing 37. A pipe, not shown, may be attached to this connection, this pipe being connected at its other end with the overflow pipe of the radiator. This pipe is used to conduct water vapor from the radiator into the tank and I preferv to block off the usual overflow pipe of' the radiator so that all waste or excess water will pass through my 'jdevice bef fore being discharged.

38 is an opening in the top of the chamber 321 in v.which a connection 39 is positioned, preferably lin conjunction with a bushing 40. An opening 4l is made in the tankand preferably in thetop of the compartment.designatedy as B, and a lconnection 42 is positioned in this opening. I likewise prefer to usea bushing 43, which is positionedy in'this opening and into which the connection 42 is-screwed One endof a pipe 44 is attached to Vthe connection 39l by means of a coupling 45 andthe othery end of said pipe is joined to the connection 42k by means of ,a coupling 46.'` ater vapor, whichis conducted from 'the *radiator into the apparatus by means'of ythepipe connection 36, passes through the ropening 38 and into the pipe 44, bywhich it is conducted into theV tank throughl the opening41. VAny water which may come through the pipe ,connection Y 36, remainsin the overflow trap, the excess being discharged, as heretofore described, the trap also retaining any dirt or foreign matter which is thus prevented from entering the tank. k47 .j is anopening in the tanky 7, 'preferably inthe topoffthe chamber designated as B, through which a mist or vapor passes, thisvapor being conducted into the engine byk a pipe 48,k A connection 49 ispositioned in this opening, either directly or in combination with a bushing 50. One endlof the pipe 48 isvjoined to thisconnection by means of a coupling 5l, and the other end' isconnected with the intakemanifoldof the engine. This pipey is preferably coiledpas shown in the drawing sov that any water carriedfby the vapor or mist which passes therethrough will be prevented from entering the. engine. 52 is a' screen which yis joined to thefinn'er end yof the connection 49 and which .tendfstoV preventy any" of the contents ofl thel tank passing through thepipe48 except'in a vapor form. A vcut-offtnot shown), maybe inserted4 in the pipe 48anywhere between ythe tank and ion the engine so thattheuse of thelapparatus x n may bel clit o when desired.

In Iusing my device the tankf? is partially iilled with water, the amount beingregulated by the trap, as heretofore described'. 'Upon j operating the engine a partial vacuum lOccurs' in the intake manifold, thisr vacuum vbeing communicated to compartment B of the tank through the pipe y48.k This vacuumfca'uses air to enter the tank through the pet-cocks 18 and 20, asis indicated bythe arrows, the air being drawn into the compartment B through thefepenings l1 inthe partitions and taking up moisture in passing therethrough. The air is deflected downward and through the waterby baiies 12, as described. The water vapor from the radiator, which enters the tank through the connection 36, passes into the compartment B in the same manner and tends to raise the temperature of the moistened air or mist which is to be introduced into the combustion chamber of the engine. This vapor or mist is drawn through the opening 47 in the tank and is conducted to the intake manifold by the pipe 48.

I have-found that the etliciency of my apparatus is increased by adding a slight amount of crude oil or cylinder oil to the water. This oil oats on the surface and creates an air seal which tends to prevent air being drawn from the tank into the intake manifold when the engine isstarting. Furthermore, air which is drawn intothe tank is drawn through this oily water and is mixed with the vapor arising therefrom, which furnishes a supplemental explosive mixture and serves to enrich the mixture of air and hydro-carbon vapor passi ing into the engine.

I claim as my invention:

In a water vapor supplying device for gas engines, a tank comprising a plurality of aligned, communicating water compartments, a water gauge connected to one of said compartments, partitions separating the compartments, a plurality of louvered openings in each of said partitions, baliles formed in said partitions in connection with said openings,

f; the baiiiesbeing adapted to direct currents of air and water downwardly into the central one of said compartments, a fluid connection `between the upper portion of said central compartment and adapted to connect with the intake of a gas engine, an overflow trap connected to said tank,'1neans in said trap for maintaining a xed water level in the trap and tank, said means comprising a goose-neck conduit adapted to serve as a Siphon to remove excess water from the tank and the overflow trap down to a predetermined level, and a conduit connecting the radiator of the engine with said overflow trap.

MARTIN W. WIEGAND. 

